It’s been a long time since people owned their music exclusively on physical media. While some enthusiasts still regularly browse record stores, the general public has long since turned to music streaming. Forty years ago, however, things were different. Back then, vinyl records, cassettes, and CDs were the dominant formats, and you could spend hours browsing through the selection at specialty stores. For Munich residents back then, the World of Music Megastore on Kaufingerstraße was the go-to place to stock up on new music.
The Whole World of Music
The history of World of Music begins in Kiel, where the company was founded in 1982. That same year, the first WOM branch opened on Sonnenstraße, bringing the first outlet to Munich. Two years later, the megastore at Kaufingerstraße 15 was added—the largest in all of Germany. A long staircase led you down to the basement of the building, where a paradise for music lovers awaited. CDs and records lined the yellow shelves, sorted by genre. WOM always had around 300,000 recordings in stock for you, so you were guaranteed to find what you were looking for.
If you weren’t quite sure what you were looking for, you could listen to samples at the various listening stations before making your purchase. In addition, DJs would occasionally spin tracks for you at the demo counter. And if you preferred something more visual, you could head over to the large video wall, where numerous CRT televisions showed the latest music videos on MTV. The World of Music Megastore was thus not just a record store where you could stock up on your favorite music, but also a popular hangout. You could spend hours there, discovering artists or chatting with others. Not only were there records to buy, but even concert tickets. If you wanted to save money, you could take advantage of the special offers at the Sendlinger Tor location.
The End of World of Music
Starting in 1994, World of Music became part of Karstadt. With the department store’s bankruptcy and the rise of the MP3, the heyday of the stores came to an end. First, in 2001, the store at Sonnenstraße 12 closed; over the years, various clubs moved into the space, including the Milchbar. Three years later, the megastore on Kaufingerstraße followed. Shortly thereafter, the building was demolished, and a new commercial building was erected on the same site.
The basement no longer exists—or at least isn’t open to customers. Instead, you can now shop for clothing on the ground floor at Reserved or United Colors of Benetton. If you still want to buy music downtown, stop by MediaMarkt or Riviera Records. World of Music, on the other hand, still exists—but only as an online store.
